Ellie said, “Winter lost her tail and had to learn how to swim all over again. I saw the film and then I really wanted to get into swimming.”

Indeed Ellie, who is preparing to compete at her second Paralympic Games, was so inspired by the film she has made several trips to Florida to see Winter.

Her father, Paul, said, “Every time we go, we get real VIP treatment and Ellie goes on the platform to feed Winter.”

After getting her start with Colchester Phoenix Swimming Club, Ellie made her mark on the swimming scene in 2017 when she obliterated the women's SB2 50m breaststroke British record that had stood since 1992. Two years later she became world record holder in the same event.

At 17, she was the youngest member of the ParalympicsGB team that competed at Tokyo 2020. Ellie won silver in the women’s S3 50m backstroke with a time of 55.11 seconds.

She said, “Whatever happened, I was going to enjoy it. I didn’t really expect too much – I was mainly looking at Paris as I would be older and more experienced. To come away with a silver medal...well, I couldn’t believe it.”

As a ParalympicsGB member, Ellie has the backing of National Lottery funding which allows her to train full-time and have access to world-class coaches, facilities and medical support. When it comes to elite athletes, your ticket is their ticket to Paris.

Ellie said, “With National Lottery funding, I don’t need to worry about financial pressures and I have everything I need to be the best swimmer I can be.”

Since Tokyo 2020, Ellie has gone from strength to strength. She racked up a total of ten world championship medals in 2022 and 2023, including six in front of a home crowd in Manchester last summer.

She said, “I didn't expect to win six medals and I shocked myself. I was just trying to go as quickly as I could. It was a long week but I am happy with how it went and it gave me good momentum going into Paris.”

Challis hopes to win Paralympic gold in the French capital. But more than that she wants the British public to have the same chance as her to connect with their sporting passion.

She said, “Through swimming I have made a lot of friends throughout the country. I have met a lot of people that have meningitis the same as me at different events. To the people that struggle with motivation and to keep fit, you just have to find something you love which helps you to keep fit.

“The best thing about swimming is travelling around the country and making loads of new friends as I am a very sociable person. Also I love to make my family and friends proud of me.”

7th August 2024